The Metro: Arts education is more than crayons and markers

By: Tia Graham

6 January 2026 at 20:30

For some of our listeners, arts and culture from kindergarten through high school were guaranteed and expected. Woodshop, cooking classes and, of course, art classes were a part of the curriculum.

As the decades have gone by, less money to schools means less resources. Oftentimes the first things cut from the budget are the arts. But educators who work within the K-12 school system say the arts are essential to a well-rounded education.

Meghan Collins is Museum Educator for K-12 and Family Programs at the MSU Broad Art Museum. She is also an Assistant Professor of Art Education in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design.

In 2024, she was named the 2025 Museum Educator of the Year by the Michigan Art Education Association.

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